Preserve Your Historic Home: Why You Should Hire a Professional for Slate Roof Repair
Slate roofing typically comes in a series of overlapping tiles. The average homeowner may assume that repairing a small section of damaged slate roofing involves nothing more than removing broken tiles and replacing them with new ones. Other times, a homeowner might believe fixing a broken tile simply requires gluing the tile pieces back together. Unfortunately, these self-help or DIY slate roof repair measures often fail to account for more substantive roofing issues desperately needing attention.
Why Homeowners Love Slate Roofing
With all the new roofing materials and products available on the market, many homeowners stick with slate roofing – especially if they own a historic home. Slate continues to offer the advantages of unmatched durability and an aesthetic appeal that suggests luxury, class, and opulence. Because slate tiles come in a variety of colors, patterns, shapes, sizes, styles, and textures, homeowners can select the option that best fits their tastes. Slate offers an enduring and timeless quality to any home.
Dispelling Common Myths Surrounding Slate Roof Repair
More likely than not, if you own a slate roof, you purchased your home from a prior owner who installed or maintained the slate roof. Since a quality slate roof outlives most homeowners, your slate roof will likely extend beyond your ownership of it. In effect, you are a custodian of this unique type of roof, protecting it for the next generation of ownership. To care for a slate roof, consider the following myths surrounding repair:
A Few Broken Tiles Does Not Necessitate Immediate Attention
Even one damaged tile exposes a home to leaks and other issues. At the very least, have a knowledgeable professional inspect for potential challenges.
Any Roofing Contractor Can Repair Slate Roofing
Unfortunately, very few roofing companies possess the requisite expertise or tools to address problem areas with permanent, long-term solutions.
Hiring A Roofer To Repair A Slate Roof Is Too Expensive
Slate roofing does require a specialist to perform the repair work correctly. But if maintained, a slate roof is designed to avoid replacement for 100-200 years.
No Maintenance Required
Although slate roofs may not need as much maintenance as other forms of roofing, caring
for a slate roof involves some meaningful attention.
No Roofers Specialize In Slate Roof Repair
A few roofing companies dedicate themselves to staying current with the latest developments in slate roofing, including installation, maintenance, and repair.
Replacing Damaged Tiles With Matching Tiles Is Not Possible
Technological advances in slate tile fabrication and tools of the trade enable roofing contractors to identify and install reasonable style and color matches.
Typical Issues Associated With Slate Roofing
Perhaps more than any other benefit for homeowners, slate roofing provides longevity. A well-maintained slate roof will frequently last over 100 years (and as long as 150 or 200 years.) No other form of residential roofing remotely approaches this extended lifespan. But managing a slate roof requires diligence. Although slate is exceptionally durable, it experiences problems that need addressing occasionally. Some of the most common issues associated with slate roofs include the following:
Broken Tiles
Slate tiles sometimes break when harshly impacted by foreign objects (like hailstones) or as a result of aging.
Delamination
As slate tiles age, the layers begin to split apart gradually. This process necessitates addressing if observed.
Loose Tiles
Normally, nails attach slate tiles to the roof underlayment. Over time, nails may loosen or rust and reduce tile adherence.
Missing Tiles
Occasionally, slate tiles will detach entirely due to weather, aging, or other forces impacting their attachment to the roof.
Nail Sickness
Slate tiles usually outlast the nails that attach them to the roof underlayment. Decaying nails require replacement.
Reasons For Hiring A Professional To Repair A Slate Roof
Many roofing companies will promise to repair any type of roofing. Few roofing contractors possess the necessary skill and acumen to fix a slate roof correctly. Responsibly handling a slate roof repair requires a highly trained specialist, a roofer with the experience to ensure satisfactory results. A homeowner bypassing working with a roofer altogether risks disastrous and costly consequences. Consider the following factors when deciding whether to hire a knowledgeable professional:
Expertise
Homeowners should not underestimate the novel complexity of safely removing and replacing a damaged slate tile with a new one. Professionals with knowledge of how to fix slate roofing typically undergo extensive training and on-the-job apprenticeship before attaining the requisite skill and experience.
Safety
Because slate becomes slippery when wet and tends to allow moss to form on its surface over time, proceeding onto a slate roof requires extreme caution and necessitates a trained roofing professional. Many homeowners have become seriously injured or died while attempting to navigate a slate roof.
The Right Tools
Few homeowners own or have access to slate roof repair equipment like a flat pry bar, a slate ripper, a slate cutter, a tin snip, or a chicken ladder. The typical roofing contractor experienced with slate roof repairs possesses these and other necessary tools to perform the slate roof repair work properly.
Tile Matching
Many slate roofs have existed for well over a hundred years. Unfortunately, new tiles often do not match the weathered existing tiles. A roofer with expertise in slate will offer creative solutions for repairing or replacing broken tiles with minimal differences in appearance from the remaining tiles.
For all your slate roof repair needs or any other roofing project, contact Stevens Roofing in Norfolk, VA.
